RELAXATION
A Bowen treatment is very relaxing.
It is mostly performed with the person lying on a treatment couch, although Tom Bowen (the originator of the work) provided beds in his clinic, order to encourage a sense of deeper relaxation.

HOLISTIC HEALING
The Bowen Technique embodies a truly holistic approach to healthcare.
It is concerned not just with treating specific conditions and symptoms, but also with encouraging a natural potential for health to express itself in every aspect of the patient's life.

TIME OUT
A unique feature of the Bowen Technique is the frequent pauses between each series od moves.
These are given to allow the body to respond and integrate what is being done.
During these pauses, the therapist will usually leave the room.
This lets the person relax without feeling that they have to keep up a conversation ot that they are being watched.

BOWEN EFFECTS
Bowen therapists sometimes talk about the different effects on posture, particularly 'ascending' and 'descending' influences. The key to effective treatment is to find where the original organising factor in someone's condition is located.
For example, a knee injury might be due to a weak toe joint or a pelvic imbalance that is putting undue strain on a knee as that person walks.
Similarly, headaches may be the result of an old fall on the tailbone.

Many children in western society habitually breathethrough their mouths rather than through their noses.This not only changes the structure of their faces tomake them more narrow and disproportionate but alsohas many adverse health consequences. According toseveral observers of adults and children in traditionalpre-industrial societies, mouth breathing is rare andfacial structure is almost universally characterised by abroad palate, straight teeth and a complete absence ofthe dental crowding and malocclusion so commonlyseen in today’s children. The 18th century ethnographerGeorge Catlin studied over 150 native American Indiantribes, comprising two million people. Catlin is famousfor his 500 portraits of men, women and childrenand colourful journals describing all aspects of nativeAmerican life. He also became known as a passionateadvocate for the importance of nasal breathing. Hisbook, The Breath of Life or Malrespiration and its Effectsupon the Enjoyment of Life of Man, expounds on thistopic and describes the diligence with which NativeAmerican mothers ensured their children’s mouthswere closed, attributing their superb health and “totalabsence of malformation of their beautiful sets ofteeth, scrupulously kept together by the lower jaws”to this behaviour. Dr. Weston Price, a dentist fromCleveland, Ohio, made similar observations after travellingthe world in the 1930’s and 1940’s examiningthe diet, habits, health, teeth and facial structure ofover 12 different cultural groups both hunter-gathererand agricultural who lived pre-industrial lifestyles.Fossil records suggest that the change in human facialstructure towards a narrower and less functional shapebegan with the dawn of agriculture and increased afterthe industrial revolution but that the most radical

changes have been since the 19th century. Inmodern western society mouth breathing is most prevalentin children under the age of 13. After this age itsometimes improves because of growth patterns in theface which widen the airway. However it is importantto improve breathing habits and optimise the functionof the airway as early as possible in young childrenbecause many of the detrimental changes broughtabout by disordered breathing on structure, health andcognitive function by disordered breathing can havelasting consequences.